Category / The Tourist

It’s been a while! I’ve wanted to get back to blogging for many months but, with long work weeks, it hasn’t been easy. But! I now have a very simple way to show you what I’ve been upto in New York (and beyond) for the past year. Between February 2015 and February 2016, I recorded a second of video …

It’s here. For the first time in nearly 14 years, visitors can look over the city from a skyscraper in downtown Manhattan again. And not just any skyscraper – the tallest one in the entire Western Hemisphere. Finally, the One World Observatory is open – and of course, it’s incredible. I went on opening day about 10 days …

If the subways seem too hot and cabs seem too pricey, there’s a far breezier and cheaper way to get from Brooklyn to Manhattan: the water taxi. The New York Water Taxi has several routes but one of them – between Van Brunt Street in Red Hook, IKEA and Lower Manhattan – is completely free at the weekends, …

Midtown is clogged with tour buses, but did you know that some companies take you to less touristy corners, such as the Bronx? When City Sights NY asked me if I wanted to join one of their groups, I jumped at the chance to check out this part of the city I rarely visit. So last weekend, Ryan and …

If you jump on the subway and ride north to Morningside Heights, you’ll reach a very different part of the city. It’s quieter and greener, and has much more space. So much space in fact that it’s home to the world’s largest cathedral and North America’s largest mausoleum. Laid to rest in that mausoleum are President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, …

By now you probably know that I am a walking tour fan. There’s no better way to see the city than on foot accompanied by someone who knows their stuff. And among the tour groups, Urban Adventures is one of my favorites thanks to their wealth of knowledge, small group sizes and choice of lesser-known locations. So when I …

Essex Street Market, Chelsea Market, Smorgasburg — New York knows how to do food markets. So this weekend, when I headed to Washington D.C. for my friend Kate’s bridal shower (you remember Kate!), I was happy to see how the city’s markets compared. And, ooh, I was impressed. She and her husband-to-be, Darius, took me to Union …

For months now, Ryan and I have been keen to go camping — and we weren’t going to let a bit of snow stop us. So last weekend, despite predicted freezing temperatures, we stuffed our backpacks with sleeping bags, snacks and plenty of layers, jumped in the car and headed to the Catskills. Ryan, the trip-planner between us, had picked Alder …

Seeing the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens is an NYC must, so last weekend, I headed there hoping that a few blossoms had defied the unseasonably cold weather to make an appearance. Thankfully, one or two had. Yes, they were few and far between – but ooh, they were lovely. Last weekend was the annual Sakura Matsuri …

Earlier this week, my friend Claire sent me a great New York Times video about my neighborhood, Carroll Gardens. The short film gives an interesting insight into the historically-Italian neighborhood and how it’s changed (and gives plenty of the reasons why I love it so much): For me, the most interesting factoid from the video was …

When I lived in London, one of my city-born friends told me he’d never seen a sheep in real life. That is a true story. I think he was about 23 at the time. I was so stunned into silence that I couldn’t ask him all the follow-up questions I now have (had he never been on …

You’ve had a long New York day – we all know them. Maybe you were forced to go to Midtown. Perhaps your subway train pulled away from the platform just as you swiped through. Maybe someone knocked over your coffee after you shelled out $6 – plus tip – for it. Whatever the cause, you definitely need a …

I’m sorry to keep going on about it, but I’m fed up of winter. So thank you Macy’s for allowing me to pretend it’s spring. Last night I headed to Macy’s Flower Show, a mixture of art, botany, sweet scents and of course, window displays. It really does brighten up the dreary streets this time of year. When I got there, …

I’ve taken a fair few guided walks around the Lower East Side, so when I joined Urban Adventures‘ food tour last weekend, I was expecting more of the same. Ah, how wrong I was. The three-hour, fact-packed tour, Tenements, Tales, and Tastes, started at City Hall and took our small group north – past African burial grounds, through former slums, into Chinatown’s hidden dumpling shops and towards Little …

If you live in New York City, it’s necessary to escape it every now and then. Earlier this month, I had a couple of days off work and decided to take myself on a trip. I picked Kingston because I’d read it was historic and cute, plus I found a beautiful apartment above a gallery on Airbnb, …

Judge me all you want, but I love a good musical. Still, even though all the ones I’ve seen in New York have been great, they’ve all been a bit modern – leaving me craving some traditional, over-the-top, tap-dancing, jazz-handed fun. And this week, I found it. Meghan (you remember Meghan) had the sense to sign …

Being British, I have two deeply ingrained traits: 1) I will never complain if someone puts me out. And 2) I am a firm believer in queues being properly maintained. But last week, as I lined up to enter the United Nations for a tour, there was a clash. An old woman who had been muttering …

Give me a decent science museum or a must-see art exhibit and I’m all for it, but I usually draw the line at super touristy activities (well, if you ignore this). That all changed last weekend when I had the joy – yes, joy – of being a tourist in my own city. On Location Tours …

This weekend I tried to re-create one of the best moments in New York movie history: The scene from ‘Big’ unfolds in New York’s top toy store, FAO Schwarz, just south of Central Park. I headed there this weekend and charged past Playmobil parties, bubble demonstrations and huge stuffed animals with even huger prices (like a $1,500 stuffed giraffe – no …

It sounds so cliché, but Dylan’s Candy Bar on 60th Street took me right back to my childhood. The shop – which is owned by Ralph Lauren’s daughter, Dylan – may be very modern and a little flashy, but it reminded me of when I was little for three main reasons: 1 :: Because my brother …

Call me a geek, but if you have a few hours free on a drizzly afternoon, the best place to spend them – apart from the pub – is a museum. Last weekend, I spotted the first flakes of yet another snowfall and took the chance to finally check out the Brooklyn Museum. And ooooh, …

As a news reporter, I’m pretty fascinated by the weird and wonderful – and sometimes a little bit grisly. So when I heard about the Morbid Anatomy Museum opening in Gowanus last summer, I thought it sounded right up my street. Unfortunately, it failed to satisfy my curiosity – but I’ve decided not to let that put me …

[Note: Scroll down to the comments section for a discount code for 5% off tickets!] Before moving to New York, I thought I was going to be seeing Broadway shows every week. But the reality is that they’re all in Midtown, which equals big, ugly crowds and big, ugly prices. Sometimes it’s the last place I want to …